This is a record of my journey as a Muslim. I used to be Catholic and belonged to a missionary organisation. After my conversion, I sat on the board of a Muslim converts' organisation and specialised in da'wah programmes, convert management, interfaith issues and apostasy cases. I am an initiate of a Sufi order. As such, the articles and writings tend to cover these areas.
All the Arabic and graphics could not have been done without the help of my wife, Zafirah.

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Encounters during the Mi'raj: The Prophet (s.a.w.) in the Nearest Heaven

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ
ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

During the night of
the Mi’raj, the Prophet (s.a.w.), accompanied by Jibril (a.s.),
travelled until the Prophet (s.a.w.) was brought the ladder by which the
spirits of the children of Adam (a.s.) ascend. Creation never saw a more beautiful
object. It had alternate stairs of
silver and gold and came down from the highest and amplest Garden of Paradise, Jannat
al-Firdaws. It was incrusted with
pearls and surrounded with angels on its right and left.

The Prophet (s.a.w.)
began his ascent with Jibril (a.s.) until they reached one of the gates
of the Nearest Heaven called Bab al-Hafazhah.
There, an angel stood guard, named Isma’il (a.s.), who was the
custodian of the Nearest Heaven. He
inhabits the wind. He never ascends to
Heaven nor descends to earth except on the day that the Prophet (s.a.w.)
passed away. In front of him, stood
seventy thousand angels; each angel commanding an army of seventy thousand
more. Jibril (a.s.) asked for the
gate to be opened.

Someone asked, “Who
is this?”

“Jibril.”

“Who is with you?”

“Muhammad.”

“Has he been Sent
for?”

“Yes.”

“Welcome to him,
from his family! May Allah Grant him
long life, a brother of ours and a Deputy of Allah, and what excellent brother
and Deputy! What an excellent visit is
this!”

The gate was
opened. When they came in, they saw Adam
(a.s.), the father of humanity, as he was on the day Allah (s.w.t.)
Created him in his complete form. The
spirits of the prophets and of his believing offspring were being shown to him,
whereupon he would say, “A goodly spirit and a goodly soul, put her in the
Highest, ‘Illiyyin!” Then the
spirits of his unbelieving offspring would be shown to him and he would say, “A
foul spirit and a foul soul, put her in the lowest layer of Hell, Sijjin!”

The Prophet (s.a.w.)
saw to Adam’s (a.s.) right great dark masses and a gate exuding a
fragrant smell, and to his left great dark masses and a gate exuding a foul,
malodorant smell. Whenever Adam (a.s.)
looked to his right he would smile and be happy, and whenever he looked to his
left he would be sad and weep. The
Prophet (s.a.w.) greeted him and Adam (a.s.) returned his
greeting and said, “Welcome to the righteous son and the righteous Prophet!”

The Prophet (s.a.w.)
asked, “What is this, O Jibril?”

He replied, “This is
your father Adam and the dark throngs are the souls of his children. Those on the right are the people of Paradise
and those on the left are the people of the Fire. Whenever he looks to his right he smiles and
is glad, and whenever he looks to his left he is sad and weeps. The door to his right is the gate of
Paradise. Whenever he sees those of his
offspring enter it he smiles happily.
The door to his left is the gate of Jahannam. Whenever he sees those of his offspring enter
it, he weeps sadly.”